DNR creel clerks will briefly interview anglers to ask about how long they fished, what species they were targeting, what they caught, and where they live. In a few instances, the clerks will ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scale samples to gather key biological information on anglers’ catches.

These efforts are part of the DNR’s Statewide Angler Survey Program, a long-term monitoring program designed to track recreational fisheries across Michigan waters of the Great Lakes and selected inland waters. These data are vital to the management of fisheries across the state.

This winter creel clerks will interview anglers fishing Saginaw Bay, the Les Cheneaux Islands, Munising, Au Train, Marquette, Keweenaw Bay, Lake Gogebic and Little Bay de Noc. Starting April 1 and continuing into the fall, creel clerks interview anglers at a number of Great Lakes boating access sites, fishing piers and shorelines across the entire coastline to obtain estimates on the spring, summer and fall fisheries.